Berengaria of Navarre Berengaria of Navarre Queen of England, Spouse of Richard I Berengaria of Navarre, Queen Consort of Richard I Lionheart of England. © 2011 Clipart.com Married May 12, 1191 to Richard I of England Died December 23, 1230 Occupation: Queen of England - Queen consort of Richard I of England, Richard the Lionhearted Known for: the only Queen of England never to set foot on the soil of England while Queen About Berengaria of Navarre: Berengaria was the daughter of King Sancho VI of Navarre, called Sancho the wise, and Blanche of Castile. Richard I of England had been betrothed to Princess Alice of France, sister of King Phillip IV. But Richard's father, Henry II, had made Alice his mistress, and church rules therefore forbid the marriage of Alice and Richard. Berengaria was chosen as wife to Richard I by Richard's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine . The marriage with Berengaria would bring a dowry that would help Richard finance his efforts in the Third Crusade.

Eleanor, though almost 70 years old, traveled over the Pyrenees to escort Berengaria to Sicily. In Sicily, Eleanor's daughter and Richard's sister, Joan of England , embarked with Berengaria to join Richard in the Holy Land. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge But the ship carrying Joan and Berengaria was wrecked off the shore of Cyprus. The ruler, Isaac Comnenus, took them prisoner. Richard and part of his army landed in Cyprus to free them, and Isaac foolishly attacked. Richard freed his bride and his sister, defeated and captured Comnenus, and took control of Cyprus. Berengaria and Richard were married on May 12, 1191, and set off together to Acre in Palestine. Berengaria left the Holy Land for Poitou, France, and when Richard was on his way back to Europe in 1192, he was captured and then held prisoner in Germany until 1194, when his mother arranged for his ransom. Berengaria and Richard had no children.

Richard is widely believed to have been a homosexual, and though he had at least one illegitimate child, it is believed that the marriage with Berengaria was little more than a formality. When he returned from captivity, their relationship was so bad that a priest went so far as to order Richard to reconcile with his wife. After Richard's death, Berengaria as dowager queen retired to LeMans in Maine. King John, Richard's brother, seized much of her property and refused to repay her. Berengaria lived in virtual poverty during John's lifetime. She sent to England to complain that her pension was not being paid. Eleanor and Pope Innocent III each intervened, but John never did pay her most of what was owed to her. John's son, Henry III, finally did pay much of the overdue debts. Berengaria died in 1230, soon after founding Pietas Dei at Espau, a Cistercian monastery. Bibliography: Ann Trindade. Berengaria: In Search of Richard's Queen. 1999.

( buy at Amazon ) [1851824340] More women's history biographies, by name: Arrayed in Gold: Berengaria of Navarre: The English Queen Who Never Set Foot in England Berengaria of Navarre, Queen of England. Engraving from c.1890. Berengaria of Navarre, consort to one of England's most beloved and best remembered kings, Richard I (the Lionheart), had a distinction in history as the only Queen of England never to set foot in England, well at least during her husband's lifetime. Just as in the case of early medieval English queens consort, little is known about Berengaria's life, and this what makes her more intriguing for me. She lived in a time of many historical events and yet she was overshadowed by more forceful personalities of that time (Richard the Lionheart and his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine). Berengaria is one of my favorite historical character, and I have always looked up to her as a beautiful, intelligent, compassionate and courageous woman, deeply devoted to her husband. But beauty and devotion were all seemed wasted.

Richard, although undoubtedly the ideal warrior-king and the epitome of a chivalrous knight, was far from being the ideal husband (and the ideal king), and his treatment of Berengaria reveals a rather cold and callous side of his personality. Berengaria was born a princess of Navarre, a little kingdom on the borders of France and Spain (and now a Northeastern region of Spain), between the years 1165 and 1170. She was the eldest daughter of Sancho IV of Navarre (nicknamed "the Wise") and Infanta Sanchia of Castile. Berengaria was probably born and educated in Pamplona, the capital of Navarre. She was said to be extremely well-educated, and she grew up with a great appreciation for the music and poetry of the troubadours of neighboring Provence. Even though she was a Spanish by descent, she was more a Provencal princess in language and education. When it comes to her appearance, Berengaria was described as dark-haired and dark-eyed, "petite, and a fine musician... in all things, a suitable consort for a king".

She was said to be very beautiful, but a Norman minstrel named Ambroise, one of the only two contemporaries who ever saw her, simply described her as "elegant and prudent". Berengaria first saw Richard when he was still Count of Poitou at a grand tournament held by her father in Pamplona. Richard was a great friend of Berengaria's brother, Sancho. They were fratres juratis, or sworn brothers, according to a custom of the times of chivalry. They had similar personalities and interests. Both men were renowned for their bravery, and they were highly skilled in all the learning and poetry of the Provencals. As Count of Poitou, Richard had ample opportunities to visit Sancho since Navarre was a close neighbor of Poitou. It was believed by historians that it was the result of Richard's frequent sojourns to Navarre that he became acquainted and eventually felt attracted to Berengaria. Berengaria herself was a learned and cultivated princess, and Richard, a gifted troubadour-poet, must have become naturally drawn to her. He admired her cultivated mind, and she made a strong impression on his volatile heart.

Years after Richard and Berengaria's first meeting, the King of Navarre was informed that Eleanor of Aquitaine was interested in a marriage between Berengaria and her favorite son Richard, who by this time had made a vow to 'take up the cross' and join the Crusade. The union between the Princess of Navarre and a Prince of England would be very beneficial for Queen Eleanor, for an alliance with the kingdom of Navarre would mean protection to the southern borders of Aquitaine. The cultural similarities between Aquitaine and Navarre, where the troubadours enjoyed great prestige and royal protection, and the apparent physical attraction between Richard and Berengaria, helped to forge the marriage. But marriage was impossible between the couple while the contract made by their parents between Richard and Alys of France remained intact. Years ago, Richard had been promised in marriage to Alys Capet, half-sister of the King of France. However, Richard's father King Henry II of England, had taken the gentle Alys as his own mistress, which resulted in Alys giving birth to an illegitimate child.

But after the death of his father in 1189, Richard, now King of England, was quick to break the engagement to Alys, and felt free to select a bride according to his personal inclinations. Of course, Alys's brother, King Philip of France, insisted that Richard should marry Alys, but Richard stated openly the reason for his refusal: that Alys's reputation was sullied. Philip was unable to refute this charge, and finally dropped the matter. King Richard I by the 19th century painter Merry-Joseph Blondel Since Richard was at that time busy preparing for the Third Crusade, he sent his mother Queen Eleanor to Navarre to secure Berengaria's hand in marriage. King Sancho was more than happy to accept the proposition and entrusted his willing daughter to Eleanor. We do not know what Berengaria thought about the whole arrangement, but being a dutiful daughter, she was aware of the political advantage of her marriage. And so Eleanor and Berengaria started on their journey not to England, but to Sicily. They were expecting to meet Richard in Messina, but he was already on his journey for the Holy Land.

The two women arrived in Messina during Lent, and so the marriage could not take place until after Easter. Richard's sister, Joanna, the Dowager Queen of Sicily, had previously arrived, and she and Berengaria became the closest of friends. Queen Eleanor left Sicily for England with a task of raising money for the Crusade, and Berengaria was left under Joanna's custody. With the crusading forces started on their journey for the Holy Land, arrangements were made for Berengaria and Joanna to set sail to the Holy Land with Richard in a separate ship. En route to the Holy Land, a violent storm came on and scattered the vessels. Richard's ship found shelter in Crete, while Berengaria and Joanna's was driven towards Cyprus. The latter found themselves threatened by the island's ruler, Isaac Comnenus. Eventually, Richard found Berengaria's ship in the open sea, and was indignant to see Isaac and his men plundering the wrecked vessel. Richard led the attack, rescued his fiancee and his sister, captured the island, and overthrew Isaac. Berengaria must have been delighted to be reunited with Richard. It was then decided that their wedding should take place immediately.

Richard and Berengaria were married in Limassol on May 1191, amidst great feasting and revelry. A chronicler wrote: "And there in the joyous month of May, 1191, in the flourishing and spacious isle of Cyprus, celebrated as the very abode of the goddess of love, did King Richard solemnly take to wife his beloved lady Berengaria." The wedding was followed by their coronation. Richard was crowned King of Cyprus, and Berengaria Queen of England and of Cyprus. It was said that Berenagaria's crown was more elaborate and more expensive than those worn by previous Queens of England. It was probably due to her being both Queen of England and Cyprus. Loretta Young as Berengaria of Navarre from the movie "The Crusaders", 1935. Soon after the wedding, Richard immediately set sail to the Holy Land, leaving his wife and his sister to sail under the protection of his most trusted knight, Stephen de Turnham. He was so busy commanding his troops and was in such haste to arrive in Holy Land that observers noted that he did not even spend enough time with his wife.

Upon Berengaria and Joanna's arrival at Acre, the place had already been successfully captured by Richard and his men. The ladies stayed there throughout the duration of the Syrian campaign, living in almost harem-like seclusion. While Richard was busy securing the honor and renown he sought, history was silent about Berengaria and her life during this period. I would like to think that she possessed considerable courage and strength of will, since going to the Crusade and the constant dangers of living in a war zone was not an easy thing. Richard, on the other hand, appeared to have had no interest on his wife whatsoever, and many historians believe that the couple's marriage was never consummated. The reasons for this were various: some blame it to Richard being a homosexual, or that he was far too busy with his battles to devote his time to his queen. After spending a year or two in the Holy Land, Richard finally made truce with his enemy, Saladin. With Jerusalem now under the rule of an Italian nobleman, Richard left the Holy Land, and started on his journey back to Europe. He had already sent Berengaria and his sister back ahead of him to Naples.

While Berengaria and Joanna safely arrived in Naples, Richard's ship was wrecked on the coast of Istria. He was captured and imprisoned by the Emperor of Germany, and a huge ransom was demanded for his release. His ever devoted mother, raised the ransom money, and she was aided in this by Berengaria. Richard was released and journeyed back to England after a four-year-absence. As if to make up for the shame of his imprisonment and his long absence, he was re-crowned at Westminster Abbey. This might be the best opportunity to bring Berengaria with him in England and show her to his people. But he did not even bother to recall her. When he went to Normandy to check on his French territories, he did not make any effort to see Berengaria despite ample opportunities. It was said that during this time, Richard renewed his connections with "profligate and worthless set of persons with whom he had been associated in his bachelor days". Berengaria was in a humiliating situation, but she kept her dignity and patience. The Church then finally intervened and reprimanded Richard.

When he fell ill and thought that he was going to die, he admitted his faults and vowed that if he recovered, and if Berengaria would forgive him, he would never leave her again. He did recovered, and as he promised, he went to Poitou where Berengaria was residing, and became reconciled with her. She welcomed him with joyful forgiveness, wisely avoiding from giving him any reproaches. In the Polychronicon, a entry was found about the couple: "The King took to him his Queen Berengaria, whose society he had for a long time neglected, though she were a royal, eloquent, and beauteous lady, and for his love had ventured with him through the world." Berengaria indeed loved Richard, and throughout his time in France, she never left his side, even when he was on his campaigns. He further sealed the reconciliation by giving her the royal revenues arising from the mines in Cornwall and Devonshire for her dower. Unfortunately, her renewed happiness was short-lived. The couple's reconciliation proved to be unfruitful, and Richard, despairing of heirs by his queen, eventually named his younger brother John as heir to the throne of England.

Richard never returned to England - his continental possessions had always been more important for him than England, which he viewed as only a source of money and resources for his wars. And thus Berengaria remained Queen of a country which she had never seen. Queen Berengaria's tomb and effigy in the Cathedral of St. Juliens in Le Mans, France Richard died on 1199, when he was 42 years old, as a result of an arrow wound. Berengaria was with him when he died, and was a witness to the testimony that Richard left his crown and his kingdom to his brother John. Although she was still young and beautiful, Berengaria never remarried, and retired in Le Mans, one of her dower properties, where she founded the Abbey of L'Espan. She had never been insistent upon her marital rights, but when it came to her dower rights, she proved to be firm and unyielding. King John refused to pay her her dower rights, and she came to England to demand what was due to her. John treated her shabbily, but she refused to back down. She appealed to the Pope, who championed her cause.

King John finally relented (after the threat of excommunication), but he died before the payment could be made. John's son, now King Henry III, finally set things straight, and Berengaria's courage and persistence were rewarded when she received her pension from England. She spent the remaining years of her life at the stately Abbey of L'Espan, doing good works like feeding the poor, and caring for abandoned children. She died in 1230 and was buried in her abbey. Berengaria, although one of the least known about Queens of England, proved to be, as her story shows, a virtuous, courageous and admirable woman. I also find her to be a sympathetic figure - she truly loved and admired her husband, but unfortunately for her, Richard seemed to be more interested in battling his wars than being with his wife. We would never know what her feelings were regarding her husband's neglect of her - she took her heart's secrets to her grave.

Her devotion to Richard was commendable, and this was best summed up by the English writer Agnes Strickland: "From early youth to her grave, Berengaria manifested devoted love for Richard; uncomplaining when deserted by him, forgiving when he returned, and faithful to his memory even unto death." References: Agnes Strickland, The Lives of the Queens of England. Lisa Hilton, Queens Consort, England's Medieval Queens. Berengaria of Navarre | The History Jar Berengaria of Navarre Daughter of Sancho the Wise of Navarre, Berengaria was related to the royalty of Spain, England and France. She was brought from Navarre to Sicily by her future mother-in-law, Eleanor of Aquitaine, in 1190 to marry King Richard I of England. She was in her twenties at the time. Richard was in Sicily on his way to the Holy Land to join with the Third Crusade having taken the cross in 1187. He had been prevented from fulfilling his vow because of a Plantagenet power struggle with his father King Henry II and younger brother Prince John over control of Aquitaine.

His ally in his rebellion against his father was the French King Philip but by the time Berengaria arrived on the scene relations were souring between the two monarchs, not least because Philip expected Richard to marry the french princess Alys, a bride-to-be of some twenty years. Unfortunately, Philip’s half-sister was an unsuitable match in Richard’s eye – not least because she had been Henry II’s mistress, not that this stopped Philip from pocketing some 10,000 marks in compensation. Berengaria accompanied Richard and Richard’s widowed sister Queen Joanna of Sicily to the Holy Land. Before their ship could reach Outremer it was separated from the main fleet and the royal women were ship wrecked off Cyprus. The ruler of Cyprus, Isaac Comnenus, whose only redeeming feature seems to have been the love he bore his daughter, attempted to take them hostage. This resulted in Richard leading an attack on Cyprus and capturing the island in less than a month. As well as demonstrating his prowess in battle, Richard also captured a useful staging post. Berengaria and Richard were married in May 1191 at Limassol.

Berengaria was also crowned at this time and Richard gave her dower rights to all territories in Gascony south of the River Garonne. The marriage had been delayed thus far because of it being Lent. Why marry Berengaria? Richard was the Duke of Aquitaine before he became King of England. An alliance with Navarre went some way to off setting the expanding power of Castille and Count Raymond of Toulouse who was undoubtedly a thorn in Richard’s side. It could also be that Berengaria’s reputation was spotless, a direct contrast to Alys. Chroniclers of the time were generous in their praise of a queen who never came to England. William of Newburgh described her as prudent and beautiful. Both royal women accompanied Richard to the Holy Land. They were at the Siege of Acre and remained there while the crusaders pushed in land and it was from here that they sailed when Richard and Saladin agreed their truce in 1191. Berengaria and Joanna sailed to Brindisi and from there they travelled to Rome while Richard travelled home a different route and found himself a captive of the Duke of Austria. Following his release, Berengaria did not join her husband.

The estrangement between husband and wife was never fully reconciled. Perhaps because Richard needed to secure his empire from the machinations of Philip of France or possibly because Berengaria’s father was now dead and her brother, Sancho VII, had succeeded to the throne. The Navarre alliance served Richard well during his crusading years. Certainly he’d never bothered to demand the two castles that were Berengaria’s dowry. Now however, Richard set about gaining what the marriage treaty guaranteed. He even involved Pope Innocent III. The couple remained childless and spent very little time in one another’s company. As he lay dying he sent for his mother, not his wife. Berengaria did not attend Richard’s funeral and remained in a small castle near Angers -in effect a penniless princess having failed to provide Richard with an heir. Berengaria now entered into a long struggle with King John for her dower lands which were all in France. In addition to her own dower lands in Gascony she was supposed to receive Eleanor’s lands in England, Normandy and Poitou after Eleanor’s death. John, once named Lackland, was not forthcoming.

Fortunately, her sister, Blanche of Champagne took in the widowed queen and later King Philip gave her the city of Le Mans to rule. It was only in 1214 that John said he would settle the claim. This was, in part, due to Magna Carta and the fact that the Pope had excommunicated him but he never did pay what was owed. King Henry III settled Berengaria’s claim when he came to the throne. Berengaria lived in Le Mans and ruled there from 1204 until her death in 1230. She ruled well and with determination, even tackling corrupt clerics. The Bishop of Le Man once closed the door of the cathedral in her face as she arrived for a Palm Sunday service.

She also founded the abbey of L’Epau 1191: Richard the Lionheart’s Wedding on Cyprus | History.info | Page 19244 1191: Richard the Lionheart’s Wedding on Cyprus Photo Credit To Wikipedia Commons / King Richard I's Great Seal of 1189 Story Highlights Historical event 12 May 1191 It is particularly interesting that Richard’s wife Berengaria never set foot in England while she was the Queen of England (Richard also spent only a few months in England during his reign and mostly stayed out of the country). On this day in 1191, English King Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre, daughter of King Sancho VI of Navarre. It is interesting to note that she was a descendant of the famous Spanish national hero Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, known by the nickname El Cid. The wedding of Richard the Lionheart and Berengaria of Navarre took place on the island of Cyprus. In fact, Richard had started his march the year before, during the Third Crusade. Richard’s fiancée Berengaria was to catch up with him, accompanied by his mother.

The fiancée was escorted by Richard’s mother to Sicily, and then she continued to travel with Richard’s sister. After an arduous journey, they arrived to Cyprus but the fiancée and sister were captured there by the ruler of Cyprus, Isaac Komnenos. Richard the Lionheart conquered Cyprus from Isaac Komnenos and married his fiancée there. There is a story that Richard promised Isaac Komnenos not to put him into irons; rather, he imprisoned him in silver chains. Berengaria was Richard’s wife until the end of his life, but they had no children. Indeed, it is questionable whether they ever even consummated the marriage. It is particularly interesting that at the time, when she was the Queen of England (almost eight years), she never set foot in England (Richard also spent only a few months in England during his reign and mostly stayed out of the country). Berengaria outlived him by as many as 31 years. King Richard was succeeded by his brother John Lackland (known from the story of Robin Hood). Facebook Comments Biography of Richard the Lionheart - Page Two Updated October 20, 2015.

Richard the Lionheart in Sicily In July of 1190 the Crusaders set off. They stopped at Messina, Sicily, in part because it served as an excellent point of departure from Europe to the Holy Land, but also because Richard had business with King Tancred. The new monarch had refused to hand over the bequest the late king had left to Richard's father, and was witholding the dower owed to his predecessor's widow and keeping her in close confinement. This was of special concern to Richard the Lionheart, because the widow was his favorite sister, Joan. To complicate matters, the Crusaders were clashing with the citizens of Messina. Richard resolved these problems in a matter of days. He demanded (and got) Joan's release, but when her dower was not forthcoming he began taking control of strategic fortifications. continue reading below our video What are the Seven Wonders of the World When the unrest between the Crusaders and the townfolk flared into a riot, he personally quelled it with his own troops. Before Tancred knew it, Richard had taken hostages to secure the peace and begun constructing a wooden castle overlooking the city.

Tancred was forced to make concessions to Richard the Lionheart or risk losing his throne. The agreement between Richard the Lionheart and Tancred ultimately benefited the king of Sicily, for it included an alliance against Tancred's rival, the new German emperor, Henry VI. Philip, on the other hand, was unwilling to jeopardize his friendship with Henry and was irritated at Richard's virtual takeover of the island. He was mollified somewhat when Richard agreed to share the monies Tancred paid, but he soon had cause for further irritation. Richard's mother Eleanor arrived in Sicily with her son's bride, and it was not Philip's sister. Alice had been passed over in favor of Berengaria of Navarre, and Philip wasn't in either a financial or military position to address the insult. His relationship with Richard the Lionheart further deteriorated, and they would never recover their original affability. Richard couldn't marry Berengaria quite yet, because it was Lent; but now that she'd arrived in Sicily he was ready to leave the island where he had tarried for several months.

In April of 1191 he set sail for the Holy Land with his sister and fiancé in a massive fleet of over 200 vessels. Richard the Lionheart in Cyprus Three days out of Messina, Richard the Lionheart and his fleet ran into a terrible storm. When it was over, about 25 ships were missing, including the one carrying Berengaria and Joan. In fact the missing ships had been blown further on, and three of them (though not the one Richard's family were on) had been driven aground in Cyprus. Some of the crews and passengers had drowned; the ships had been plundered and the survivors were imprisoned. All of this had occurred under the governance of Isaac Ducas Comnenus, the Greek "tyrant" of Cyprus, who had at one point entered into an agreement with Saladin to protect the government he'd set up in opposition to the ruling Angelus family of Constantinople. After having rendezvoused with Berengaria and secured her and Joan's safety, Richard demanded restoration of the plundered goods and the release of those prisoners who hadn't already escaped. Isaac refused, rudely it was said, apparently confident in Richard's disadvantage.

To Isaac's chagrin, Richard the Lionheart successfully invaded the island, then attacked against the odds, and won. The Cypriots surrendered, Isaac submitted, and Richard took possession of Cyprus for England. This was of great strategic value, since Cyprus would prove to be an important part of the supply line of goods and troops from Europe to the Holy Land. Before Richard the Lionheart left Cyprus, he married Berengaria of Navarre on May 12, 1191. Richard the Lionheart in the Holy Land Richard's first success in the Holy Land, after having sunk an enormous supply ship encountered on the way, was the capture of Acre. The city had been under siege by Crusaders for two years, and the work Philip had done upon his arrival to mine and sap the walls contributed to its fall. However, Richard not only brought an overwhelming force, he spent considerable time examining the situation and planning his attack before he even got there. It was almost inevitable that Acre should fall to Richard the Lionheart, and indeed, the city surrendered mere weeks after the king arrived. Shortly afterward, Philip returned to France. His departure was not without rancor, and Richard was probably glad to see him go.

Although Richard the Lionheart scored a surprising and masterful victory at Arsuf, he was unable to press his advantage. Saladin had decided to destroy Ascalon, a logical fortification for Richard to capture. Taking and rebuilding Ascalon in order to more securely establish a supply line made good strategic sense, but few of his followers were interested in anything but moving on to Jerusalem. And fewer still were willing to stay on once, theroretically, Jerusalem was captured. Matters were complicated by quarrels among the various contingents and Richard's own high-handed style of diplomacy. After considerable political wrangling, Richard came to the unavoidable conclusion that the conquest of Jerusalem would be far too difficult with the lack of military strategy he'd encountered from his allies; furthermore, it would be virtually impossible to keep the Holy City should by some miracle he manage to take it. He negotiated a truce with Saladin that allowed the Crusaders to keep Acre and a strip of coast that gave Christian pilgrims access to sites of sacred significance, then headed back to Europe.

Richard the Lionheart Search TheMiddleAges.net Richard the Lionheart Richard I (September 8, 1157 – April 6, 1199) was King of England from 1189 to 1199. He was often referred to as Richard the Lionheart, Coeur de Lion. He was considered a hero in his day and has often been portrayed as one in works of literature. Early life The third of King Henry II's legitimate sons, Richard was never expected to accede to the throne. He was, however, the favourite son of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Although born in Oxford, England, he soon came to know France as his home. When his parents effectively separated, he remained in Eleanor's care, and was invested with her duchy of Aquitaine in 1168, and of Poitiers in 1172. This was his consolation prize for the fact that his eldest brother, Henry the Young King, was simultaneously crowned as his father's successor. Richard and his other brother, Geoffrey, duke of Brittany, thus learned how to defend their property while still teenagers.

As well as being an educated man, able to compose poetry in French and Provençal, Richard was also a magnificent physical specimen, his height is estimated at six feet four inches (1.93 m) tall, and gloried in military activity. From an early age he appeared to have significant political and military abilities, became noted for his chivalry and courage, and soon was able to control the unruly nobles of his territory. As with all the true-born sons of Henry II, Richard had limited respect for his father and lacked foresight and a sense of responsibility. In 1170, his elder brother Henry the Young King was crowned king of England as Henry III. Historians know him as Henry "the Young King" so as not to confuse him with the later king of this name who was his nephew. In 1173, Richard joined his brothers, Henry and Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany, in a revolt against their father. They were planning to dethrone their father and leave the Young King as the only king of England. Henry II invaded Aquitaine twice.

At the age of seventeen, Richard was the last of the brothers to hold out against Henry; though, in the end, he refused to fight him face to face and humbly begged his pardon. In 1174, after the end of the failed revolt, Richard gave a new oath of subservience to his father. After his failure Richard concentrated on putting down internal revolts by the dissatisfied nobles of Aquitaine, especially the territory of Gascony. The increasing cruelty of his reign led to a major revolt of Gascony in 1183. Richard had a terrible reputation, including reports of various rapes and murders. The rebels hoped to dethrone Richard and asked his brothers Henry and Geoffrey to help them succeed. Their father feared that the war between his three sons could lead to the destruction of his kingdom. He led the part of his army that served in his French territories in support of Richard. The Young King's death on June 11, 1183, ended the revolt, and Richard remained on his throne. Young Henry's death left Richard as the eldest surviving son and the natural heir when the old King died. However, there was some uncertainty over King Henry's intentions.

When Geoffrey also died, Richard was the only realistic possibility, his youngest brother, John, being too weak and inexperienced to be considered as an alternative. From the Young King's death Richard was considered -- though not officially proclaimed -- heir to the joint thrones of England, Normandy and Anjou. In 1188 Henry II planned to concede Aquitaine to his youngest son John Lackland, later King John of England. In opposition to his father's plans, Richard allied himself with King Philip II of France, the son of Eleanor's ex-husband Louis VII by his third wife, Adela of Blois. In exchange for Philip's help against his father, Richard promised to concede his rights to both Normandy and Anjou to Philip. Richard gave an oath of subservience to Philip in November of the same year. In 1189 Richard attempted to take the throne of England for himself by joining Philip's expedition against his father. They were victorious. Henry, with John's consent, agreed to name Richard his heir. On July 6, 1189 Henry died in Chinon, and Richard succeeded him as King of England, Duke of Normandy, and Count of Anjou.

He was officially crowned duke on July 20 and king in Westminster on September 3, 1189. Reign As a result of an incident during Richard's coronation celebrations, religious and political persecution of the Jews took place throughout the country. Richard has been criticised for doing little for England, siphoning the kingdom's resources by appointing Jewish moneylenders to support his tirades away on Crusade in the Holy Land, indeed, he spent only six months of his ten year reign in England, claiming it was "cold and always raining." See image of Effigy on tomb in Fontevrault Abbey -> Richard had one major reason for discontent with his father. Henry had appropriated Princess Alice (not the same Alice as Richard's half-sister), the daughter of the French king and Richard's betrothed, as his mistress. This made a marriage between Richard and Alice technically impossible - at least in the eyes of the church, but Henry, not wishing to cause a diplomatic incident, prevaricated and did not confess to his misdeed. As for Richard, he was discouraged from renouncing Alice because she was Philip's sister.

Leaving the country in the hands of various officials he designated (including his mother, at times), Richard spent only a small fraction of his reign in England, being far more concerned with his possessions in what is now France and his battles in Palestine. He had grown up on the Continent, and had never seen any need to learn the English language. Soon after his accession to the throne, he decided to join the Third Crusade, inspired by the loss of Jerusalem to the "infidels" under the command of Saladin. Afraid that, during his absence, the French might usurp his territories, Richard tried to persuade Philip to join the Crusade as well. Philip agreed and both gave their crusader oaths on the same date. Richard did not concern himself with the future of England. He wanted to engage in an adventure that would cause the troubadours to immortalise his name, as well as guaranteeing him a place in heaven. The evidence suggests that he had deep spiritual needs, and he swore an oath to renounce his past wickedness in order to show himself worthy to take the cross. He started to raise a new English crusader army, though most of his warriors were Normans, and supplied it with weapons.

He spent most of his father's treasury (filled with money raised by the Saladin tithe), raised taxes, and even agreed to free King William I of Scotland from his oath of subservience to Richard in exchange for 10,000 marks. To raise even more money he sold official positions, rights, and lands to those interested in them. He finally succeeded in raising a huge army and navy. After repositioning the part of his army he left behind so that it would guard his French possessions, Richard finally started his expedition to the Holy Land in 1190. Richard appointed as regents Hugh, Bishop of Durham, and William de Mandeville, who soon died and was replaced by Richard's chancellor William Longchamp. Richard's brother John was not satisfied by this decision and started scheming against William. The struggle for Sicily In September 1190 both Richard and Philip arrived in Sicily. In 1189 King William II of Sicily had died. His heir was his aunt Constance, later Queen Constance of Sicily, who was married to Emperor Henry VI.

But immediately after William's death, William's cousin, Tancred, rebelled, seized control of the island and was crowned early in 1190 as King Tancred I of Sicily. He was favored by the people and the pope but had problems with the island's nobles. Richard's arrival caused even more problems. Tancred had imprisoned William's widow, Queen Joan Plantagenet, who was Richard's sister, and did not give her the money she had inherited according to William's will. Richard demanded that his sister be released and given her inheritance. Meanwhile the presence of two foreign armies caused unrest among the people. In October, the people of Messina revolted, demanding that the foreigners leave the island. Richard attacked Messina and captured it on October 4, 1190. After looting and burning the city Richard established his base in it. He remained there until March 1191 when Tancred finally agreed to sign a treaty. The treaty was signed during the same month by Richard, Philip and Tancred. According to the treaty's main terms: Joan was to be released, receiving her inheritance along with the dowry her father had given to the deceased William.

Richard and Philip recognized Tancred as legal King of Sicily and vowed to keep the peace between all three of their kingdoms. Richard officially proclaimed his nephew, the son of Geoffrey, Arthur of Brittany, as his heir, and Tancred promised to later marry one of his daughters to Arthur when he came of age (Arthur was only four years old at the time). After signing the treaty Richard and Philip left Sicily. The treaty undermined England's relationships with the Holy Roman Empire and caused the revolt of Richard's brother John, who hoped to be proclaimed heir instead of their nephew. Although his revolt failed, John continued to scheme against his brother after this point. Richard on the Third Crusade During April Richard stopped on the Byzantine island of Rhodes to avoid the stormy weather. He left in May but a new storm drove Richard's fleet to Cyprus. On May 6, 1191, Richard's fleet arrived in the port of Lemesos (now Limassol). Richard captured the city. When the island's despot Isaac Dukas Comnenus arrived to stop the Crusaders he discovered he was too late, and retired to Kolossi. Richard called Isaac to negotiations but Isaac broke his oath of hospitality and started demanding Richard's departure.

Richard ordered his cavalry to follow him in a battle against Isaac's army in Tremetusia. The few Roman Catholics of the island joined Richard's army and so did the island's nobles who were dissatisfied with Isaac's seven years of tyrannical rule. Though Isaac and his men fought bravely, Richard's army was bigger and better equipped, assuring his victory. Isaac continued to resist from the castles of Pentadactylos but after the siege of his castle of Kantaras he finally surrendered. Richard became the new ruler of Cyprus. Richard looted the island and massacred those trying to resist him. Meanwhile, Richard was finally able to marry the woman to whom he was engaged, who had been brought by his mother to join him on the crusade route. His marriage to Princess Berengaria of Navarre, first-born daughter of King Sancho VI of Navarre, was held in Limassol on May 12, 1191. It was attended by his sister Joan, whom Richard had brought from Sicily. There were no children from the marriage; opinions vary as to whether it was ever a love match.

The unfortunate Berengaria had almost as much difficulty in making the journey home as her husband did, and did not see England until after his death. Richard and most of his army left Cyprus for the Holy Land early in June. In his absence Cyprus would be governed by Richard Kamvill. King Richard arrived at Acre in June 1191, in time to relieve the siege of the city by Saladin. Deserted by Philip and having fallen out with Duke Leopold V of Austria, he suddenly found himself without allies. Richard's tactics ensured success at the siege of Acre and on the subsequent march south, Saladin's men being unable to harass the Crusader army into an impulsive action which might not have gone their way. However, the desertion of the French king had been a major blow, from which they could not hope to recover. Realising that he had no hope of holding Jerusalem even if he took it, Richard sadly ordered a retreat. Despite being only a few miles from the city, he refused, thereafter, to set eyes on it, since God had ordained that he should not be the one to conquer it.

He had finally realised that his return home could be postponed no longer, since both Philip and John were taking advantage of his absence to make themselves more powerful. Having planned to leave Conrad of Montferrat as "King" of Jerusalem and Cyprus in the hands of his own protégé, Guy of Lusignan, Richard was dealt another blow when Conrad was assassinated before he could be crowned. His replacement was Richard's own nephew, Henry I of Champagne. Captivity and return On his return to Europe in the autumn of 1192, Richard was captured by Duke Leopold — whom he had publicly insulted in the course of the crusade — and was handed over as a prisoner to the Emperor Henry VI after being held captive at Dürnstein. Although the circumstances of his captivity were not severe, he was frustrated by his inability to travel freely. Nevertheless, he spent the remainder of his reign attempting to regain the territory he had lost in France. After his departure in May 1194, he never returned to England. Overall assessment There is no doubt that Richard had many admirable qualities, as well as many bad ones.

He was a military mastermind, and politically astute in many ways; yet incredibly foolish in others, and unwilling to give way to public opinion. He was capable of great humility as well as great arrogance. He loved his family, but behaved ruthlessly to his enemies. He was revered by his most worthy rival, Saladin, and respected by the Emperor Henry, but hated by many who had been his friends, especially King Philip. He was often careless of his own safety: the wound which killed him need not have been inflicted at all if he had been properly armoured. Almost the same thing had happened, ten years earlier when, while feuding with his father, he had encountered William Marshal while unarmed and had to beg for his life. Richard's existence had been one whole series of contradictions. Although he had neglected his wife and had to be commanded by priests to be faithful to her, she was distraught at the news of his death. During his absence, his brother John had come close to seizing the throne; Richard forgave him, and even named him as his heir in place of Arthur, who was growing into an unpleasant youth.

With his 77 year-old mother at his side, Richard died on 6 April 1199 from the after-effects of an arrow wound received during the siege of Chalus in France and was buried next to his father at Fontevraud Abbey near Chinon and Saumur, France. It is said that he summoned Pierre Basile, the crossbowman who had delivered the fatal wound to his bedside, and was so impressed with the man's refusal to be cowed that he pardoned him. Richard was succeeded by his brother John as king of England. However, his French territories initially rejected John as a successor, preferring his nephew Arthur of Brittany, the son of their late brother Geoffrey, whose claim was technically better than John's. Folklore Over the years the figures of Robin Hood and Richard I have become closely linked. However, the in the earliest Robin Hood ballads the only king mentioned is "Edward our comely king", presumably Edward I, II, or III. It was not until much later that a connection came to be made between the two men. The typical usage of the link is that the major political goal of Robin's war is to restore Richard to the throne after Prince John usurped it.

Richard the Lionheart, King of England By Ben Johnson | Comments Outside the Houses of Parliament there stands a statue of Richard I seated on his horse as testimony that he was one of England’s bravest and greatest kings …or was he? All English school children learn about this great king who reigned from 1189-1199. He earned the title ‘Coeur-de-Lion’ or 'Lion Heart' as he was a brave soldier, a great crusader, and won many battles against Saladin, the leader of the Saracens who were occupying Jerusalem at that time. But was he really one of the greatest kings of England - or one of the worst? It appears that he hadn’t much interest in being king …in his ten years as monarch he only spent a few months in England, and it is doubtful that he could actually speak the English language. He once remarked that he would have sold the whole country if he could have found a buyer. Fortunately he couldn’t find anyone with the necessary funds! Richard was the son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. He spent much of his youth in his mother's court at Poitiers.

During the last years of Henry's reign, Queen Eleanor constantly plotted against him. Encouraged by their mother, Richard and his brothers campaigned against their father in France. King Henry was defeated in battle and surrendered to Richard, and so on the July 5th 1189, Richard became King of England, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou. After his coronation Richard, having already taken the crusader’s vow, set out to join the Third Crusade to free the Holy Land from Saladin, the leader of the Turks. Whilst wintering in Sicily, Richard was met by his mother along with a potential bride to-be…Berengaria of Navarre. He initially resisted the match. On the way to the Holy Land, part of Richard’s fleet was wrecked off Cyprus. The island’s ruler Isaac I made the mistake of upsetting Richard by badly treating his surviving crews. Richard had landed in Rhodes but immediately sailed back to Cyprus where he defeated and deposed Isaac. Whether it was the magic of the island, the heightened senses from his victory or something else entirely, it was in Cyprus that Richard relented and married Berengaria of Navarre.

An unlikely place perhaps for an English king to get married, nevertheless Berengaria was crowned Queen of England and Cyprus. Richard continued with the Crusade, landing and taking the city of Acre on 8 June 1191. Whilst reports of his daring deeds and exploits in the Holy Land excited the folks back home and in Rome, in reality he failed to achieve the main objective which was to regain control of Jerusalem. So in September, after concluding a three years’ peace deal with Saladin he set off alone on the long journey home. During the journey Richard was shipwrecked in the Adriatic and eventually captured by the Duke of Austria. A heavy ransom was demanded for his release. Kings apparently do not come cheap, and in England it took a quarter of every man’s income for a whole year to raise the funds for Richard’s release. He eventually returned to England in March 1194. However he didn’t spend much time in England and spent the rest of his life in France doing what he seemed to enjoy most of all …fighting. It was while besieging the castle at Chalus in France that he was shot by a crossbow bolt in the shoulder.

Gangrene set in and Richard ordered the archer who had shot him, to come to his bedside. The archer’s name was Bertram, and Richard gave him a hundred shillings and set him free. King Richard died at the age of 41 from this wound. The throne passed to his brother John. A sad end for the Lion-Heart, and alas, also for poor Bertram the archer. Despite the King’s pardon he was flayed alive and then hanged.

Berenguela de Navarra, Reina consorte de Inglaterra (c.1167 - 1230) - Genealogy Berenguela de Navarra, Reina consorte de Inglaterra Lithuanian: Berengarija Navarietė, Anglijos Karalienė Birthdate: in Abbey de Espans, Sarthe, France Place of Burial: Abbey de Espans, Sarthe, France Immediate Family: Queen consort of England, Queen of England (without ever visited England) Managed by: Circa 1167 - Pampeluna, Navarra, Spain Death: Dec 23 1230 - Abbey de Espans, Sarthe, France Father: Sancho Vi Rey De Navarra.

1150 1194 Siblings: Blanca De Navarra, Sancho De Navarra Husband: After Dec 23 1230 - Abbey de Espans, Sarthe Francia Parents: Sancho Vi (El Sabio) Rey De Navarra, Sancha Rey De Navarra I (nacida Alfonso) Siblings: ...Navarra, Ramiro Sánchez De Navarra Infante De Navarra Y Obispo De Pamplona, Constanza Sánchez De Navarra, Blanca, Champagne (nacida Sánch... Husband: Circa 1167 - Pampeluna, Navarra, Spain Death: Dec 23 1230 - Abbey de Espans, Sarthe, France Parents: ...e Sage King Of Navarre The /wise/ Le Sage "the Wise" Called The Wise (El Sabio) Sancho Vi (The Wise) De Navarra, Sancha Of Nava... Siblings: ...d The Strong (El Fuerte In Spanish Santxo Azkarra In Basque) Or The Prudent. His Retirement At The End Of His Life Has Given Rise To The ...

Circa 1167 - Pampeluna, Navarra, Spain Death: Dec 23 1230 - Abbey de Espans, Sarthe, France Husband: ...;the Lion Hearted" King Of England,ricardo I "corazón De León",richard D'angleterre,richard The Lionheart,coeur De Li... Son: About Berengaria of Navarre, Queen consort of England from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Berengaria of Navarre (Spanish: Berenguela, French: Bérengère; c. 1165-1170 – 23 December 1230) was Queen of the English as the wife of King Richard I of England. She was the eldest daughter of King Sancho VI of Navarre and Sancha of Castile. Marriage Berengaria married Richard I of England on 12 May 1191 and was crowned the same day by the Archbishop of Bordeaux and Bishops of Evreux and Bayonne. As is the case with many of the medieval queens consort of the Kingdom of England, relatively little is known of her life.

It seems that she and Richard did in fact meet once, years before their marriage, and writers of the time liked to claim that there was an attraction between them at that time. Richard had been betrothed many years earlier to Princess Alys, sister of King Philip II of France. Alys, however, may have been the mistress of Richard's own father, King Henry II, and some said the mother of Henry's illegitimate child; a marriage between Richard and Alys would therefore be technically impossible for religious reasons of affinity. Richard terminated his betrothal to Alys in 1190 while at Messina. He had Berengaria brought to him by his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Since Richard was already on the Third Crusade, having wasted no time in setting off after his coronation, the two women had a long and difficult journey to catch up with him. They arrived in Sicily during Lent (when the marriage could not take place) in 1191 and were joined by Richard's sister Joan, the widowed Queen of Sicily.

En route to the Holy Land, the ship carrying Berengaria and Joan went aground off the coast of Cyprus, and they were threatened by the island's ruler, Isaac Comnenus. Richard came to their rescue, captured the island, overthrew Comnenus, and married Berengaria in the Chapel of St. George at Limassol. Queen consort Whether the marriage was ever even consummated is a matter for conjecture. In any case, Richard certainly took his new wife with him for the first part of the crusade. They returned separately, but Richard was captured and imprisoned. Berengaria remained in Europe, attempting to raise money for his ransom. After his release, Richard returned to England and was not joined by his wife. The marriage was childless, and Berengaria was thought to be barren. When Richard returned to England, he had to regain all the territory that had either been lost by his brother John or taken by King Philip of France. His focus was on his kingdom, not his queen. Richard was ordered by Pope Celestine III to reunite with Berengaria and to show fidelity to her in future. Richard obeyed and took Berengaria to church every week thereafter.

When he died in 1199, she was greatly distressed, perhaps more so at being deliberately overlooked as Queen of England and Cyprus. Some historians believe that Berengaria honestly loved her husband, while Richard's feelings for her were merely formal, as the marriage was a political rather than a romantic union. Queen dowager Berengaria never visited England during King Richard's lifetime; during the entirety of their marriage, Richard spent less than six months in England. There is evidence, however, that she may have done so in the years following his death. The traditional description of her as "the only English queen never to set foot in the country" would still be literally true, as she did not visit England during the time she was Richard's consort. She certainly sent envoys to England several times, mainly to inquire about the pension she was due as dowager queen and Richard's widow, which King John failed to pay. Although Queen Eleanor intervened and Pope Innocent III threatened him with an interdict if he did not pay Berengaria what was due, King John still owed her more than £4000 when he died. During the reign of his son Henry III of England, however, her payments were made as they were supposed to be.

Berengaria eventually settled in Le Mans, one of her dower properties. She was a benefactress of the abbey of L'Epau, entered the conventual life, and was buried in the abbey. A skeleton thought to be hers was discovered in 1960 during the restoration of the abbey. Berengaria of Navarre, Queen consort of England's Timeline 1167

Question: On which island in 1191 did King Richard I marry Berengaria?
Answer: CYPRUS